Those star ratings can on occasions be a little misleading, the colour gets gradually colder and somehow it feels like saying something bad about the shot. However an image does not need to be wildly original or hard hitting to be wonderful. It is easily argued that the main point of any kind of art is to look good, not to everyone but to the people who enjoy that particular style. So much has been done that true originality is tough to achieve and certainly a huge market has been carved out for pin ups, posters and showing something attractive.

That isn't to say this shot is all surface level enjoyment but it's success is rather rooted within that. She is beautiful, the sun is beautiful and the whole capture is beautiful, it is taking in the light and her look that this becomes a great portrait. In this show the photographers strength and skill in composition and tone. The model is well placed in the frame, her position leading the eye in the right direction and focused wonderfully on a remarkably piercing eye. The background, somewhat over exposed to indeed success has just enough contrast within it to avoid being a painfully bright mass. It is warm but with enough bite to it to not leave her eye thematically out on its own. To have such a dramatic eye against a truely softened background would throw too many things in, confusing the shot.

My only question marks are first in her lip position, the pout seeming slightly too forced. It may be too personal a preference but I find it stiffens the face more than a portrait like this needs. Secondly the flash of dark in the top left is something of a distraction though in fairness not wildly damaging on the whole.

A well executed shot with style and flair that is certainly a better photo than some of my star ratings might suggest.